SOUTH CHINA SEA - The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group entered the South China Sea, Aug. 14, and conducted maritime air defense operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The strike group – USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Mustin (DDG 89), and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) – conducted flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft, and high-end maritime stability operations and exercises.

Ronald Reagan and its embarked CVW-5, recently completed joint integrated training with USS Antietam (CG 54), Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131, and the Air Force 35th Fighter Wing off the coast of Northern Japan.

Integrated training included air-to-air operations, combat search and rescue drills, and air defense exercises to increase joint force capability to respond to regional contingencies and maintain warfighting readiness.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group also recently integrated with an Air Force B-1B Lancer launching from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Reagan and the B-1 conducted Joint War at Sea training, enhancing joint readiness response capabilities.

"Integration with our joint partners is essential to ensuring joint force responsiveness and lethality, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Joshua Fagan, Task Force 70 air operations officer aboard USS Ronald Reagan. "The recent integrated training between our carrier strike group and Air Force B-1s is the latest example of how we are continually working to stay synched with all of our joint partners and ready to respond to any contingencies throughout the region."

The U.S. Navy regularly conducts operations and exercises with other U.S. military branches in the Indo-Pacific to build and maintain warfighting readiness that is responsive, flexible, and honors enduring commitments to mutual defense agreements with regional allies and partners.

Operations in the South China Sea continue to demonstrate enduring U.S. commitment to allies and partners, and a cooperative approach to regional stability and freedom of the seas.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed carrier strike group, comprised of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54), the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), and squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 embarked aboard Ronald Reagan.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.